Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 4, 1 April 2005 — Fulfilling our kuleana to our northwestern ʻkūpuna islands' [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Fulfilling our kuleana to our northwestern ʻkūpuna islands'

By Laura Thompson Editor's note: Conservationist Laura Thompson is a member of the Northwest Hawaiian Island Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve Advisory Council and longtime matriarch of the Polynesian Voyaging Society. The views expressed in the community discussion eolumn are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Office of Hawaiian affairs. The Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve was founded by presidential executive order in 2000 to protect the fragile halanee of life in this unique and vast coral ecosystem, among the healthiest and most extensive in the world. The executive order recognized, as does Hawaiian culture, that coral reefs are the foundation of the whole life cycle in the oeean. Limu that grows on coral feeds the small fish that feed bigger fish that feed the people. ECOSYSTEM is the key word to everything. All living creatures depend on one another - our planet is a gigantic ecosystem. On a recent visit to Midway, I was sad to see dozens of white terns, the manu-o-Kū whieh Polynesian voyagers use to guide them to land, dead on the ground. Scientists there explained that they died of starvation. White terns live off the small fish whieh swim up to the surface of the sea because of large fish helow them. But with our large fish being taken by longline fishermen, the little fish don't rise to the surface as mueh, and the white terns starve. The endangered Hawaiian monk seal's diet includes lobster, and many scientists

believe that this species is starving because a main food source has been depleted by overfishing - especially the young pups, who laek the experience of being able to catch rapidly moving prey such as fish. The lobster has a long life cycle; it takes many years for an egg to mature into an adult with the ability to reproduce. In the 1980s and '90s, in the height of the take, lobster fishermen didn't bother to save the young or egg-bearing females, thereby causing the lobster populalion to crash that eventually led to the current ban on taking lobsters in the area. What I find scary is that moves are currently being proposed by the loeal fishery management eouneil to resume their take of lobster and other fish. These are but two examples of our natural ecosystem process, but they show the interdependence and eonnee lion of

life on our planet. They also illustrate the harm that ean be done when we humans care more about short-term gain than long-range sustainability. The reserve is now in the process of seeking permanent sanctuary status, a tedious but thoughtful procedure. It includes input from the Reserve Advisory Council, whieh was established for the purpose of determining how the area could best be structured as a sanctuary. Voting eouneil members represent commercial fishermen (limited to only nine who currently hold fishing permits for the area), recreational fishermen, the Native Hawaiian community, researchers, educators, conservationists and a representative of the State of Hawai'i. I serve on that eouneil and provide mana'o from a perspective of conservation.

The process to reach sanctuary status also requires puhlie input, and mueh input has been given. Since 2000, more than 30 separate federal and state puhlie hearings have been held to discuss protection needs for the proposed Northwest Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) Sanctuary and nearby state waters. The results to date indicate overwhelming support for conservation measures to protect the ecological integrity of the NWHI and limits placed on human activities, including fishing. More than 50,000 comments concerning management needs of the proposed sanctuary have been received by the reserve, and most of them urge the highest protection possible. Hawai'i residents should know that the designation process continues and includes many opportunities for them to express how they feel. The puhlie is weleome and encouraged to participate in Advisory Council meetings. When the draft management plan and draft environmental impact statement are released for puhlie review and comment, hearings will be held statewide. Through these meetings, we ean all determine what kind of sanctuary we want for our kūpuna islands. Do we want it wasted for the sake of "our economy," or will we allow it to survive as the last major coral reef ecosystem in the U.S., an ecosystem whieh affects the entire world? It is my wish for our special Hawai'i to be a plaee where people, land and sea are cared for and communities are safe and healthy for generations to eome. The future of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands depends on the people of Hawai'i. Visit www.hawaiireef.noaa. gov to find out more about how you ean express your mana'o and participate in the sanctuary designation process. ī-i

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Ki'ikākūkā

The author communes with the locals on a visit to Midway Atoll. Overfishing in the Northwestem Hawaiian lslands could threaten such seabirds' survival.

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